LGBT News

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: Anyone who performs in a drag show in public could potentially be arrested and charged with a crime, under a new bill proposed by North Carolina Republican lawmakers Tuesday. House Bill 673 would lump at least some drag performances — what the bill calls “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient …

Mass Live reports: Hingham police arrested and charged a man who they said made phone calls threatening to shoot down and burn a Pride flag outside the Derby Street Shoppes on Thursday. Gage Scammell, 29 of Weymouth, was charged with interference with civil rights, use or presence of deadly weapons and threatening to commit a crime, police said in a …

The Associated Press reports: Missouri’s attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict health care for transgender people weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to …

Bloomberg News reports: Hungarian lawmakers passed a bill that enables citizens to report anonymously on same-sex couples who raise children to authorities. As part of the law, approved earlier this week, people are allowed to report those who contest the “constitutionally recognized role of marriage and the family” and those who contest children’s rights “to an identity appropriate to their …

Via press release from Equality Florida: Today, Equality Florida took the extraordinary step of issuing a travel advisory, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state. The move comes in response to a wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following the passage …

Nashville’s Fox affiliate reports: The City of Franklin voted to allow the annual Pride festival to occur in town this year. This comes right after the city decided to wait to vote on the “community decency” policy for another few weeks. The result came after the aldermen tied 4-4 in their votes, making it so Mayor Ken Moore of Franklin …

NBC News reports: For the past two years, thousands of people have descended on a public park in Franklin, Tennessee — a suburb 30 minutes outside Nashville — for an LGBTQ pride festival featuring live music, food trucks and crafts vendors. But this year, Franklin Pride’s attempts to obtain a city permit have been met with fierce resistance. What had …

From the George W. Bush Presidential Center: President Museveni shouldn’t sign this violation of the universal human rights of expression and association. It singles out a minority population – the LGBTQ community. While it should be opposed on that basis alone, it also could be exploited to go after any critics or opponents of the government by accusing them of …

Forbes reports: Over the past thirty years, 49 UN member States have decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual acts, according to a new database by ILGA World. However, laws criminalizing being gay remain a reality for one-third of countries worldwide. It’s still illegal to be LGBTQ in 64 UN member States. In Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the death …

Via press release from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy: Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 326 establishing New Jersey as a safe haven for gender-affirming health care by directing all state departments and agencies to protect all persons, including health care professionals and patients, against potential repercussions resulting from providing, receiving, assisting in providing or receiving, seeking, or …

San Francisco’s NBC affiliate reports: Longtime San Francisco drag performer Heklina has reportedly died in London, according to a social media post from fellow SF drag mainstay, Peaches Christ (aka Joshua Grannell). Heklina and Grannell were apparently in London together starring in “Mommie Queerest,” which is a described as a “Wild drag parody” of the 1981 film, “Mommie Dearest.” “This …

The Hill reports: The results of an NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll, released Wednesday, show 58 percent of respondents said they oppose laws restricting the performances, while 39 percent said they support them. Democrats are the most likely to oppose such laws, with almost three-quarters of them saying they are opposed, but 57 percent of independents and 37 percent of Republicans also …

The Freedom From Religion Foundation reports: A new national survey has reassuring findings that Americans of almost all religions and no religion are growing ever more supportive of LGBTQ rights. For instance, eight in 10 Americans (80 percent) in the Public Religion Research Institute survey support laws against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing against gay, lesbian, bisexual and …

Reuters reports: A coalition of international companies, including Google and Microsoft, on Wednesday denounced anti-LGBTQ legislation passed by Uganda’s parliament last week, warning it would damage the East Africa country’s economy. The Open for Business coalition said the legislation, which criminalises identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, would curb investment flows and deter tourists. The bill imposes the …

USA Today reports: Before Israel paused work this week on a controversial judicial overhaul plan that sparked a crisis in that country, a five-year-old U.S. Supreme Court dispute between a Colorado baker and a gay couple made an appearance as a key talking point for far-right allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights …

The Dallas Morning News reports: LGBTQ Pride celebrations could be banned in Texas schools under legislation up for debate Tuesday. The bill from Republican Rep. Ken King bars public schools from organizing programs “dedicated to celebrating or providing special instruction regarding a sexual preference.” “Having sexually-oriented celebrations at school, for all grades, is teaching our kids a sexual ideology – …

Fox News reports: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has issued an emergency regulation regarding gender transition interventions on minors and launched a website to report allegations of malpractice at gender clinics in the state. “It’s about protecting children for me,” Bailey told Fox News Digital. “We’ve got to inject some sanity into this conversation. Gender is an objective reality defined …

The New York Post reports: Six members of a gang that preyed on gay men at Hell’s Kitchen nightclubs have been indicted over the “roofie” murders of John Umberger and Julio Ramirez last year. Warrants were issued Friday afternoon for the arrest of three of the men for first-degree murder, while all six men have been hit with charges of …

The Albuquerque Journal reports: Legislation signed into law Friday will expand protections under the New Mexico Human Rights Act and remove the requirement that name changes be published in a newspaper. Supporters of the two bills say they will strengthen LGBTQ rights by updating requirements that prohibit discrimination against protected classes and allowing people to more easily change their name …

Fort Lauderdale’s ABC affiliate reports: The LGBTQ community in Wilton Manors is preparing to march Sunday against new measures that Republicans in Florida are pushing forward. Christ Caputo, a Wilton Manors commissioner, said it’s time for the community to stand against “discriminatory” Florida bills. Caputo said he is especially concerned about House Bill 1011 and Senate Bill 668, which set …